Memorial of Mother
by Alice Evangeline Bae Gracey
Summary: Pre-story #2. Amelia feels that her current actions are compelled by the feelings of her deceased mother. In another time and the same place, Lillian Mouse comes to terms with something that she wishes to keep, even if the event that caused it was traumatic, and is over ecstatic when Walt agrees to help her through it.
1. In Which Amelia's Wrath is Unleashed

**Memorial of Mother**

* * *

Amelia visited this grave every other Sunday. The grave of her mother.

Next to it was, of course, the grave of her father. She didn't know if her brothers ever visited these graves unless it was Mother's Day, or Father's Day, or Christmas, or their parents' birthdays, but she knew that she did every other Sunday and then some. She had started the practice mainly to feel that she was doing her job as the oldest in the family. It was her job to protect her brothers, to take care of them, and the family. It was all her job.

Which was why when the baby of the family thought it'd be okay to take care of their sick brother, Amelia had been horribly insulted, but more in an upset way than an angry one. She knew that Mickey meant well, but she still felt to this day that it should have been _her _burden to take care of Oswald, not Mickey's.

Quietly, she placed the two bouquets of flowers on each of the graves, before she finally knelt down before them. It was time their parents knew what happened.

"Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad," she started, closing her eyes and bowing her head. "Something big happened in the family not that long ago, and I think you two should know. You remember when I told you about Oswald's girlfriend, Fanny Cottontail? I told you I didn't like her. Well, she kicked him out onto street for whatever reason. Mickey suspected there was another guy involved, but Oswald says the love wasn't lasting anyway."

She paused, trying to hold back the intense feelings she felt toward that rabbit that had dumped her brother out of the house like he was yesterday's garbage. She wanted nothing more than to take Ferdie's baseball bat and race over to her house, and beat the girl senseless. That rabbit didn't deserve the man she had now if she had replaced Oswald. She had no right to treat one of her brothers like that.

"Well, anyway..." she started, trying to recollect her feelings. "Mickey found him on the street about a week and a half later. I think you two already know that... I feel like you've been watching over him. Especially you, Mom. He was sick, cold and starving when Mickey brought him home. Then he called me..."

She couldn't hold it in anymore. She began to cry.

"Would you believe it? I think my heart stopped. My little brother had been on the _streets_... and there wasn't anything I could do, because Mickey wanted to be the hero and take care of him! But I... I didn't understand why he did. So, once Oswald told me he intended to stay, I made sure to check up on them."

She caressed the carvings that etched out her mother's name.

"... Oswald got really sick, mom and dad. He had caught it out on the streets. And... and he lost so much more weight from it that I was scared he wasn't going to make it... But you know what? Mickey pulled through. I don't know how, but he and his little girlfriend... they worked together and now Oswald's up and about. He's still thin as a nail and a little shaky, but... at least we get to keep him a little while longer. I know you probably were expecting to hug him on arrival, mom... dad... but... I'm glad he's still with us. Because he's my brother, just like you intended, mom."

She stood up now and wiped her eyes. Looking up at the sky, Amelia decided it was time to head home. After saying a goodbye to her parents, she headed back to her car and drove out of the graveyard. As she was driving home, she got a sudden idea in her head, and turned down a street, pulling into a driveway.

She was at Mickey's house.

Heading up the stairs, Amelia contemplated how she was going to explain why she was suddenly here. She didn't know why she had the thought to visit her brothers, but decided it was probably for the best. She hadn't really spent a lot of time with them despite what they were going through, and maybe it was time that she really acted like the big sister she thought she was.

So, with that thought in mind, she rang the doorbell and woke up Pluto in the backyard, who barked immediately. Soon after, the door opened and standing before her was Minnie, Mickey's sweetheart.

"Oh, Amelia!" Minnie chimed happily. "Are you here for your brothers?"

"Um, yeah, actually..." Amelia started somewhat awkwardly. "Are they both home?"

"Oh, yes! They're right here in the living room! Come on in!" Minnie gave a smile as she stepped out of the way and held the door open.

As soon as Amelia was in, Minnie took her jacket and hung it up, and then led her through the house into the living room. Amelia's brothers were sitting together on a couch, Mickey sipping away at a hot chocolate and Oswald with an herbal tea, which Amelia found strange, considering Oswald didn't even like tea. Minnie gestured Amelia to one of the chairs as she sat down in the other one, grabbing her own coffee.

"Did you want something to drink?" Minnie asked, and Amelia found herself raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, well, um... Sure."

"Coffee? Tea? Hot chocolate?" Minnie quizzed.

"Um, coffee, please. Black."

Minnie smiled at this, and placed her own coffee back on the table she had it on before. With a giggle, she stood back up and hurried into the kitchen. Amelia found herself glancing back at her brothers, a confused expression on her face.

"What's with her playing host?" she asked immediately.

She watched as Oswald shrugged and turned to Mickey as well, clearly looking for an answer. It broke Amelia's heart, how thin he was now, and how sick he still looked, dressed in what was clearly Mickey's clothes which were clearly too big for him. Mickey, himself, laughed a little before stuttering out an answer.

"Oh, well, um... She... She likes to ta-take care of my gu-guests when she's here..." were Mickey's words. "It... It-it... It's her way of sa-saying sh-she likes you..."

"She smothered me with her care and love my second night here. It was suffocating," was Oswald's contribution. He was clearly recovering from having lost his voice, something Amelia hadn't even been aware of. She almost winced at the hoarse sound that came out of him. "Suddenly that makes sense."

"We-Well..." Mickey chuckled nervously. He cleared his throat then and decided to change the subject. "So, um... Ah-Amelia. What, uh... What br-brings you... Um. ... what brings you here?"

That was when Minnie strolled back into the living room, bearing a mug of smoking hot coffee. She placed it on the table in front of Amelia and sat down in her own chair once more. Amelia, meanwhile, found herself staring at the floor, wondering what she should say. She wasn't even sure why she had come in the first place, but now here she was sitting in her baby brother's living room with his girlfriend and their middle brother, having coffee, tea and hot chocolate.

"Well, um... It's..." she started, trying to think of something to say. "It, uh..."

"... You're starting to sound like Mick," Oswald suddenly said, earning a giggle from Minnie and an embarrassed chuckle from Mickey. "Seriously, we don't need two stutterers in the conversation, _thanks_." He paused. "No offense to you, Mick."

"You make it sound cute, anyway," Minnie assured him.

Mickey blushed.

Amelia giggled herself before getting back to the point. "Well, I visited mom and dad today. I think they brought me here."

"Mom and Dad?" chimed both brothers at once. They then glanced at each other, confused looks on their faces.

"Why... Why wo-would they... Why would they le-lead you here...?" Mickey asked, turning back to Amelia.

She had been taking a sip of her coffee, and found herself lightly shrugging at the question. Maybe they wanted her to take Oswald home, or maybe they wanted her to see how comfortable he was looking living here. Her little brother was acting completely relaxed, as he rested his head against the back of the couch, almost leaning on Mickey's side. The baby brother himself seemed rather happy having Oswald with him, and it made Amelia realize something as she swallowed her coffee.

When Oswald lived with Fanny, he almost never visited his siblings. It was probably because his ex-girlfriend had completely intended for him to cut off all ties with his family, for whatever reason she had. Anger boiled up inside of her as she processed this thought, looking down at her coffee and seeing her reflection in the dark liquid. For a moment, the intent to run back home, to grab Ferdie's baseball bat, and find that accursed female rabbit came back inside of her.

To calm herself down, she turned back to her brothers, both of whom were looking at her with mixed concern and confusion. That was when another realization came to her.

Oswald was wearing _Mickey's _clothes, not his own.

"Say... um... Oswald," Amelia started, and she watched as his long ears perked. "Where's your... stuff?"

Oswald growled angrily at that. "Fanny's probably got all my stuff in the garage, ready to sell it. I was only allowed to take my wallet and jacket, and whatever clothes I had on at the moment."

Mickey winced at that. Amelia recalled how he had said Oswald had been shivering violently when he found him.

Amelia took another sip of coffee. Her brothers watched carefully.

"... Yo-you're not, um... p-planning anything... r-rash, a... are you...?" Mickey stuttered worriedly.

Minnie drummed her fingers against her mug. Amelia supposed that this conversation between siblings was feeling a little awkward for her. She made a promise to make this up to Minnie in the future.

"Maybe, maybe not," Amelia decided to say. She decided to change the conversation to a different argument, one that had ended rather badly. "Oswald, about my place..."

The other three occupants in the room snapped their attention to her immediately. Outside, Pluto was having a conversation with the neighbour's dog.

"I'm fine here," Oswald stated heavily, the effect being magnified by his hoarse voice. "I'm not leaving. Your place is full, and I don't want to make one of the boys lose their room."

Amelia hesitated, and looked back down at her coffee. "No, it wasn't about that..."

She looked back at Minnie, seeing the younger mouse tilt her head somewhat to the side. "What do you mean, then, Amelia?"

"I meant to say... I meant to say that I can see Oswald's happy here," Amelia decided on, smiling up at her brothers. Oswald's eyes widened somewhat. "I can see that you're feeling much better and that makes me happier. You seem so relaxed, now, and I haven't seen you like that in a long time. I'm... I'm glad that you are happy here, and now I realize that my intent to take you home instead of Mickey taking care of you would have... it would have been worse for you, especially with the twins... So..."

She smiled back down at her coffee as everyone leaned forward somewhat.

"I think this is why mom and dad brought me here. To see how happy you are with Mickey. If they think this is where your place is, then I'm going to honor that, and I'll even raise my glass to it." Here, she lifted her mug of coffee up in the air. "To Mickey saving Oswald."

Minnie giggled at held up her own mug. Mickey blushed, but joined in anyway. Oswald chuckled, and lifted his tea.

Together, the four clinked their mugs together.

* * *

On the way home, Amelia once again got another feeling to drive somewhere else. This one, she felt was purely her mother standing up for something she felt was very wrong, and knew that Amelia felt the same way. So, with determination, she turned onto the street, and began to drive, once again interrupted on her drive home.

* * *

Sometime later, on the other side of Toon Town, someone's doorbell rang. The door opened to find a full grown female rabbit answering it, and she bore a rather dulled expression for someone that had just had a nasty breakup with her boyfriend. When she saw a mouse waiting for her on the other side of the door, her dull expression turned to one of fake politeness.

"Oh, well, hello there, how may I help you?" greeted and asked Fanny Cottontail.

"Hi," deadpanned Amelia Fieldmouse. "You Fanny Cottontail?"

"Um, yes," answered the confused Fanny. "To what do I owe the pleasure of being known?"

"Yeah, please don't fake being nice to me," Amelia stated harshly, "because you left my brother out to _die _in the cold with nothing but his wallet and his jacket. I'm his big sister, Amelia, and I'm here to _pick up his stuff_ that you wrongfully _stole and intend to sell._"

It was at this point that Fanny realized that Amelia was wielding what looked to be a very well made baseball bat. It was made of metal, not wood, and she was sure that one whack from that finely made piece of sports equipment was sure to sign Fanny's hospital bills for about a month and a half. The rabbit found herself gulping at the sight, and she found herself stepping away from the door to allow the older mouse passage into her home.

She could have realized she had done something horrible.

She loved Oswald, once upon a time, but found his heritage rather questionable. He was a rabbit, but both his parents had been mice, and both his siblings were as well. He was the only rabbit in that entire family, and to her understanding, it didn't make any sense. So, she did what she always did and pretended that entire family didn't exist.

It never occurred to her that maybe Oswald was adopted. It never occurred to her that maybe trying to lock out the family only hurt the rabbit that she loved even more. She blamed him for their falling out, but it had all been her intention. She yelled and got angry at him for every little thing, when she was the reason for his misery in this relationship.

She could have realized that it was all her fault, and not his. Instead, she decided that Oswald had sent his sister, or maybe had mentioned what had happened, and his sister was just playing older sibling. Though, she did admit to herself that the stuff in the garage did belong to Oswald, and not her, so she didn't argue when the mouse collected the boxes and placed them in the back of her van. She didn't argue when she took the antique bed that had once belonged to the Oswald's parents. No, she only argued when the mouse tried to take a music box.

"Not that, I have someone interested in that," stated Fanny.

"This was my mother's. It belongs to me," was Amelia's argument.

"Yes, and I'm saying you _can't take that_, someone wants to _buy that._"

Amelia blinked twice. Then she hit Fanny on the head with the baseball bat. Then, she took the music box and everything else that her brother owned or had that belonged to them, and drove home.

It was a good day.

* * *

"I'm not saying that I don't appreciate it, I'm just asking how you got it back," had been Oswald's words when Amelia pulled back into the driveway about a week later with everything still in the van.

"I drove over to her place and argued her for it," Amelia replied. "I went there wielding Ferdie's baseball bat. She only argued over the music box, I think she's in the hospital now for a concussion."

"_Nice._" The pure glee on her brother's face caused her to laugh.

"So, where's Mickey?" Amelia asked as the two of them put away his clothes. "I expected him to be here taking care of you."

"He's at work making money," Oswald replied as he held up a sweater that was now too big for him. "He was about to take off more time from work for me, and I wasn't about to let him. He's trying to hide it, but I know money's getting tight because of me."

Amelia nodded in understanding. Mickey had taken off a lot of work in order to take care of Oswald, who was still in a fragile state even now. She also knew, however, that his job wasn't very high-paying, so it was going to be a difficult time ahead for both of them. At least now they didn't have to fight Fanny for the clothes and supplies Oswald already had.

Speaking of her brother, Amelia was happy to notice that after a week, he was starting to look a bit better. Still skin and bones, but there was a slight change in his weight since about a week ago, and his voice had fully recovered. It was sad to see him going through his clothes that used to fit a much more larger rabbit, but at least he had all his things now. He'd still need a new wardrobe for his skinnier stature, but at least he had clothes to grow into.

"What are you going to do with the bed?" asked Oswald suddenly. "There's already a bed in here, after all, and Mick doesn't need a new one."

"I think I'll put it in storage," Amelia supposed. "After all, one day Mickey and Minnie are going to get married, and they'll get a new house. It will be a house-warming present."

Oswald chuckled. "Oh, Amelia. You're giving them the bed you and Mick were conceived on. That will make them feel _so _special."

In retaliation Amelia threw a pair of boxers at him. They landed on his head. Both decided he deserved it.


	2. In Which History is Made

**Memorial of Mother**

**EPILOGUE **

**-The Birth of One of the Siblings-**

* * *

_-Around Twenty Years Ago or So-_

* * *

_"Lillian, I don't think you should keep that baby," stated the older mouse once she heard the news, as she knitted a blanket._

* * *

Lillian was never good at doing what she told. She was a mouse that went as her heart felt, and that was why she fell in love with Walter.

Or, Walt, as he had preferred. She told him he could call her Lilly, and he could be the only one that could. So, he did.

Theirs was a love that lasted until the day they died.

* * *

"She's darling," stated Lillian as she rocked the cradle bearing their daughter. It had been three months since Amelia was born, and both parents couldn't be happier, despite recent events. Lilly was still recovering from the trauma she had endured, and Walt was on edge, always locking the doors, and had even plotted to bar the windows. "Whenever I see her face, I feel so much more better..."

"It's because she's ours," Walt explained. "All our love for each other poured into her, forming the perfect child."

"Do you think we could do it again...? Form another perfect child like this...?" Lillian asked, looking up at Walt with pleading eyes. "Do you think we could do it, even if the child is not all ours?"

Walt frowned slightly, and for a moment she feared his answer. She had thought long and hard about the decision she had made, but everything landed on him at the end. She knew what she was about to tell him was going to be hard, but she hoped that he'd understand. He knelt down before her, and for a moment, the nursery was quiet.

"I do believe love is the strongest thing in this world, Lilly Mouse," he said, "And with it, anything is possible. What are you trying to say, Lilly?"

"Walt..." she began, almost hiding her face in shame.

Walt's face appeared pained. He wanted to know what ailed his wife, the mother of his daughter. He wanted to know how he could make her feel better after what she had just been through. Which is why, he wasn't expecting these words...

"Walt..." She began again, "Walt, I'm pregnant... and... and I want to keep the baby, even if he looks like him."

* * *

Two and a half months after Amelia Mouse was born, Lillian had been walking home from the book store all alone. During this time, she was being tailed by an unidentified rabbit that she had never met before, who caught her, attacked her... and then raped her. A neighbour had been the one to find her, and they never caught the rapist. It was assumed he had left town soon after.

... Considering Toon Town is a small town where everyone knows everybody, it was probably for the best if he wanted to keep his life, considering everyone in town after hearing Lillian Mouse had gotten raped wanted to _kill him themselves._

Scrooge McDuck had even been seen loading a gun. No one found it strange at all.

* * *

Walt blinked for a moment, processing the words his wife had stated. He had already suspected that she was pregnant again - a lot of her behaviour mirrored what she had went through with Amelia. He had never thought that she'd want to keep the child that she now bore, since, after all, the child wasn't going to be his, and the child was half that rabbit that had attacked her. So why would she...?

"Can you tell me why, Lilly?" he asked as softly as he could muster. He made sure to caress her face, making her now that he wasn't angry, or mad with her decision. If it were her decision, then he was going to go along with it.

He watched as she breathed in a sigh. "... Because it's not the baby's fault. It's not the baby's fault that he attacked me, nor is the baby at fault for having a chance of existing. I want to give the baby a chance. I want to teach the baby how to do be a good mouse... or rabbit. Either way, I will love the child. I hope you can do the same..." She gave him a longing look, one that made his heart ache for her.

He smiled. "Oh, Lilly. Are you asking me to be his father in all but blood?"

"That is exactly what I am asking of you. Can you do this?"

Walt didn't need to think twice. "... Of course."

Lilly smiled back up at him, embracing him as hard as she possibly could. "Mother doesn't want me to... But I want to."

"I understand," Walt told her, rubbing her back. "I'll embrace the child as my own, I promise..."

* * *

"What's his name going to be...?" asked Lilly's mother, as she took the child with its long ears into her arms. She didn't have a smile as she looked upon the child, and Lilly could tell that her mother still didn't approve of her newborn son, especially since his appearance wasn't like their's.

"... Oswald. After my father... if you don't mind, mother?"

Lilly's mother smiled sadly at her. "What about Walt's father? Mickey?"

"You want me to name _my_ son Mickey?" Lilly laughed. "No, no. I'll save that one for the son that shares Walt's blood for real."

"Ah, but Oswald is my son, too, Lilly," Walt chimed in, earning laughs throughout the room. "My genes are just recessive! All. Of. Them."

* * *

"Mama, why does Oswald have rabbit ears, instead of mouse ears?" asked Amelia one year. "He looks funny with them. No one believes him that his last name is Mouse."

"Well, honey, deep in your father's family, there was a rabbit," Lilly lied. "Those genes skipped a few generations, and now we have Oswald."

"Like eye colours?"

"Yes." It was at this moment, that Lilly promised to one day tell the truth about her second child and first son. As she looked down to see little Mickey playing with Oswald, she realized that now was not the time. But one day, it will be.

* * *

A family of cats prepared their evening meal as their youngest son played outside. The mother hummed along to a tune that she knew off by heart, and as soon as she finished stirring the meal in the pot, she put a cover over it. Still humming the tune, she approached the door to the backyard and carefully opened it, before peering outside.

"Felix! Felix, it's time for supper!" she called out, but then stopped as soon as she realized something, much to her horror. "... Felix...?"

She stepped out into the backyard, panic rising in her heart.

"What is it, dear?" asked her husband from inside.

The female cat didn't answer as she surveyed the backyard hopelessly. She looked for one small little black tail, wished to see the sweater she had knitted for him herself, wished to see her young son... But it was all for naught.

The backyard was empty. Felix was gone.

* * *

_The End_

_... For Now._

* * *

_Stay tuned for the next One Shot Installment, entitled: _

**Brother, What I Would Do For You**


End file.
